Mulberry leaf extract reduces blood sugar
What is Mulberry leaf extract
Mulberry, also known as Morus, a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, comprises 10–16 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Mulberry leaf has been used in Chinese traditional medicine for centuries, and the first recorded medicinal use of mulberry leaf was in 500 AD. Nowadays, Mulberry leaf supplement is mainly used for diabetic patients, because Mulberry leaf extract reduces blood sugar
What does Mulberry leaf extract contain?
Modern science has provided strong evidence to substantiate the use of mulberry leaf for medicinal purposes. The main active compounds that Mulberry leaf contains include:
- GABA: Assists to maintain blood pressure levels
- DNJ : Helps to control blood sugar levels
- Quercetin: Assists in the prevention of liver cancer.
- Phytosterol : Assists to reduce Cholesterol in the blood vessels
- Flavonoids : Powerful anti-oxidants
- Chlorophyll: Supports the heart, cleanses liver, improves overall vascular health
- Vitamin A, B1,B2, B6,C
Mulberry leaf extract reduces blood sugar
One of main benefits of Mulberry leaf extract is lowering blood glucose, as mulberry leaf contains a bioactive compound called deoxynojirimycin (DNJ).
DNJ is a natural alkaloid exists in mulberry tree, as a powerful glycometabolase inhibitor(such as α-glucoside, hexokinase, gluconalurase, and glycogen phosphatase, etc.), DNJ can significantly delay the degradation process of polysaccharides, reduce the peak of postprandial blood sugar, and stabilize fasting blood sugar. In addition, DNJ also has the effect of insulin sensitization to improve insulin resistance.
How does DNJ work ?
Sugar in the diet, such as starch, is hydrolyzed into the stomach due to the effect of saliva alpha amylase, and about 70 % of it that have not yet been mixed with saliva is still hydrolyzed . Then enter the duodenum and under the action of pancreatic liquid alpha-amylase, it continue to decompose, generate sucrose, maltose and other disaccharide. When the disaccharide is transported to the small intestine, it is hydrolyzed to glucose, fructose and other monosaccharide by alpha-glycosidase that on the surface of the microfiber membrane in the upper part of the small intestine, and then, monosaccharides are absorbed into the body through the intestinal wall, resulting in a sharp increase in glucose concentration in the blood. When the food is ingested together with DNJ, the food reaches the small intestine and is broken down into disaccharides. At the same time, DNJ also enters the small intestine, and binds to the alpha-glycosidase. Since the affinity between DNJ and alpha-glycosidase is greater than the affinity between disaccharides and alpha-glycosidase, DNJ hinders the binding of disaccharides to alpha-glycosidase, and as a result , alpha-glycosidase cannot break down the disaccharides, and the disaccharides cannot be hydrolyzed to glucose and is sent directly to the large intestine. Due to the action of DNJ, the amount of glucose entering the blood is reduced, so the blood sugar value is reduced.
